Clamp and method of use

ABSTRACT

A clamp and method of use may be configured to detect whether a clamp is properly secured to an object, and whether that proper securement is maintained. One embodiment of a clamp may include a first portion and a second portion. The relative positions of the first and second portions may be selectively adjusted using a positioner. A sensor assembly may be secured between said first and second portions to determine if the first portion engages the work piece with the proper force. Multiple clamps may be used on a single work piece, and those clamps may be in communication with a common controller to alert the user when any clamp experiences a force other than the force the user desires.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of provisionalU.S. Pat. App. Ser. No. 61/582,119 filed on Dec. 30, 2011, which isincorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for clamping,and more specifically, for an apparatus and method that verifies anobject is properly secured by a clamping apparatus.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

No federal funds were used to develop or create the invention disclosedand described in the patent application.

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTINGCOMPACT DISK APPENDIX

Not Applicable

AUTHORIZATION PURSUANT TO 37 C.F.R. §1.171 (d)

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document may contain materialthat is subject to copyright and trademark protection. The copyrightowner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of thepatent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patentand Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves allcopyrights whatsoever.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order that the advantages of the invention will be readilyunderstood, a more particular description of the invention brieflydescribed above will be rendered by reference to specific embodimentsillustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawingsdepict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not thereforeto be considered limited of its scope, the invention will be describedand explained with additional specificity and detail through the use ofthe accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an illustrative embodiment of the claimas disclosed herein.

FIG. 2A is a side view of an illustrative embodiment of the clamp asdisclosed herein.

FIG. 2B is a cutaway side view of the embodiment of the clamp shown inFIG. 1.

FIG. 3A is an end view of the embodiment of the clamp shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3B is a cutaway end view of the embodiment of the clamp shown inFIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION - ELEMENT LISTING Description Element No. Clamp 10First portion 20 Distal end 21 Interface surface  21a Aperture 22Positioner 24 Positioner anchor  24a Positioner adjuster  24b Pinreceptacle 26 Second portion 30 Anchor receiver 32 Sensor chamber 34 Pinhousing 36 Mounting aperture 37 Interface chamber 38 Sensor assembly 40Biasing member 42 Spacer 44 Pin 46 Sensor 47 Coupling 48 First inlet 48a Angled inlet  48b

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Before the various embodiments of the present invention are explained indetail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in itsapplication to the details of construction and the arrangements ofcomponents set forth in the following description or illustrated in thedrawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of beingpracticed or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to beunderstood that phraseology and terminology used herein with referenceto device or element orientation (such as, for example, terms like“front”, “back”, “up”, “down”, “top”, “bottom”, and the like) are onlyused to simplify description of the present invention, and do not aloneindicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have aparticular orientation. In addition, terms such as “first”, “second”,and “third” are used herein and in the appended claims for purposes ofdescription and are not intended to indicate or imply relativeimportance or significance.

1. Illustrative Embodiment

One embodiment of a clamp 10 is shown in perspective in FIG. 1, and fromthe side in FIG. 2A. FIG. 2B provides a side cutaway view of theillustrative embodiment along the length thereof. The illustrativeembodiment of the clamp 10 generally includes a first portion 20 and asecond portion 30 that are selectively positionable with respect to oneanother. The first and second portions 20, 30 may be coupled via apositioner 24 as shown herein. In other embodiments of the clamp 10,other structures and/or methods may be used to allow for the firstportion 20 to be selectively secured in a position relative to thesecond portion 30 without limitation. A distal end 21 of the firstportion 20 may extend beyond the corresponding end of the second portion30. However, in other embodiments of the clamp 10 the first and secondportions 20, 30 are approximately equal in length.

In the illustrative embodiment the positioner 24 includes a positioneradjuster 24 b at a first end thereof and a positioner anchor 24 a at asecond end thereof. A portion of the positioner 24 adjacent thepositioner adjuster 24 b may pass through an aperture 22 formed in thefirst portion 20, as best shown in FIGS. 1 & 2B. The aperture 22 may beconfigured as a slot to allow for various adjustments in the relativeposition of the first and second portions 20, 30. The positioner anchor24 a may be placed within an anchor receiver 32 formed in the secondportion 30, also best shown in FIG. 2B. In this embodiment, thepositioner 24 is generally configured as a bolt and nut, wherein thebolt is securely engaged with the second portion 30 and the nut servesas the positioner adjuster 24 b, whereby a user may adjust the distancebetween the first and second portions 20, 30. However, in otherembodiments not pictured herein the positioner 24 may use differentstructures and/or methods to allow a user to adjust the distance betweenthe first and second portions 20, 30.

Referring now generally to FIGS. 2B and 3B, a sensor assembly 40 mayalso be placed between the first and second portions 20, 30. In theillustrative embodiment the sensor assembly 40 is positioned oppositethe distal end 21 of the first portion 20, but may be positionedelsewhere without limitation. In the illustrative embodiment of theclamp 10, the sensor assembly 40 generally includes a biasing member 42,a pin 46, and a sensor 47. The pin 46 may be affixed at one end thereofto the first portion 20 and extend downward through a spacer 44 and abiasing member 42 into a pin housing 36 affixed to the second portion30. In other embodiments of the clamp 10, the pin housing 36 may beformed integrally within the second portion 30. The pin 46 may besecured to the first portion 20 so that the position of the pin 46 isfixed with respect to the first portion 20. The biasing member 42 may bepositioned between the first and second portions 20, 30 concentricallywith the pin 46 and spacer 44, which may be positioned between thebiasing member 42 and first portion 20. The end of the pin 46 oppositethe first portion 20 may extend into an interface chamber 38 formed inthe second portion 30.

The second portion 30 may be formed with one or more mounting apertures37 therein. A mounting aperture 37 may be used to secure the secondportion 30 and/or the clamp 10 to a structure and/or work surface,thereby providing a reference position for the clamp 10 and the firstportion 20. In other embodiments, the second portion 30 may be securedto a structure and/or work surface via welding. Accordingly, the scopeof the clamp 10 is not limited by the method and/or structure used tosecure the clamp 10 and/or second portion 30 to a structure and/or worksurface, and any suitable structure and/or method may be used withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the clamp 10.

A first end of a sensor 47 may be positioned within a sensor chamber 34formed in the second portion 30 such that the position of the sensor 47with respect to the second portion 30 is fixed. A second end of thesensor 47 may extend toward the interface chamber 38 adjacent the pin46. It is contemplated that the sensor 47 in the illustrative embodimentof the sensory assembly 40 will be configured as a proximity sensor.Accordingly, the sensor 47 may be used to determine the distance betweenthe first and second portions 20, 30. However, in other embodiments ofthe clamp 10, the sensor 47 may be configured differently, such as aphoto eye, or any other structure and/or method that functions todetermine the distance between two objects as described in detail below.

A coupling 48 may be positioned adjacent the sensor 47. In theillustrative embodiment, the coupling is positioned opposite theinterface surface 21 a toward the bottom of the second portion 30. Thecoupling 48 may have a first inlet 48 a and/or angled inlet 48 b toprovide a conduit to the sensor 47. For example, the coupling 48 may beused to provide electrical energy to the sensor 47. In otherembodiments, the sensor 47 may be wireless, in which case a coupling 48may not be necessary.

The biasing member 42 may be configured to bias the first portion 20away from the second portion 30 with a predetermined force for apredetermined clearance between the first and second portions 20, 30.Alternatively, in embodiments of the clamp 10 in which a second portion30 is not required (described in detail below), the biasing member 42may be configured to bias the first portion 20 away from the work pieceand/or work surface. Decreasing the distance between the first andsecond portions 20, 30 (via the positioner adjuster 24 b in theillustrative embodiment) brings the pin closer to the sensor 47. Acertain amount of force will be required to overcome the force of thebiasing member 42 in order to bring the pin 46 in sufficient proximityto the sensor 47 such that the sensor 47 detects the presence of the pin46. In this manner, the biasing member 42, pin 46, and sensor 47 may beconfigured so that the sensor 47 detects the pin 46 when the clamp 10has achieved a predetermined clamping force against a work piece (notshown) positioned between the interface surface 21 a and work surface(not shown, but for most embodiments generally located under theinterface surface 21 a adjacent the second portion 30).

Other types of sensor assemblies 40 may be used without limitation, andthe optimal sensor assembly 40 and/or components thereof will vary fromone application of the clamp 10 to the next. For example, in anembodiment not pictured herein, the sensor assembly 40 may include astrain gauge, and in another embodiment it may include some type of MEMScomponent. Accordingly, any sensor assembly 40 that alerts a user when aspecific clamping force has been achieved, and/or that functions todetect the distance between two objects may be used with the clamp 10without limitation. Additionally, the optimal forces, pressures,orientations, and/or dimensions of the various components of the clamp10 will vary from one application of the clamp 10 to the next, and aretherefore in no way limiting to the scope thereof. For example, inanother embodiment of the clamp 10 not pictured herein, the sensorassembly 40 is positioned adjacent the interface surface 21 a such thatit may directly detect the relative positions and/or forces of the firstportion 20 and work piece. In such an embodiment a second portion 30 maynot be needed, and it is contemplated that the positioner 24 may beengaged directly with the work surface.

2. Illustrative Method of Use

Having described a preferred embodiment of the clamp 10 for certainapplications, one method of using the clamp 10 will now be described.Generally, the clamp 10 may verify that a user secured a work piece withproper force, and that the proper force is maintained.

In the illustrative embodiment, a work piece may be positioned on a worksurface, and the second portion 30 of the clamp 10 may be secured tothat work surface. Once the user is satisfied with the position of thework piece, the user may secure the position of the work piece using theclamp 10. The user may decrease the distance between the first portion20 and the second portion 30 (and consequently the distance between thefirst portion 20 and the work piece and work surface) via the positioneradjuster 24 b. In the illustrative embodiment of the clamp 10 this wouldbe accomplished by tightening a nut (positioner adjuster 24 b) engagedwith a bolt (positioner 24).

As the distance between the first and second portions 20, 30 isdecreased, the biasing member 42 is progressively compressed. Eventuallythe distance will be decreased to the point that the sensor 47 willdetect the pin 46. For a given work piece dimension, the biasing member42, sensor 47, and pin 46 may be configured so that when the sensor 47detects the pin 46, the first portion 20 is placing a predeterminedforce on the work piece. This allows the user to verify that the clamp10 properly secures the work piece. In a similar fashion, the sensorassembly 40 may also be configured to alert the user if the clamp 10does not maintain the predetermined force on the work piece, i.e., ifthe clamp 10 becomes loose or dislodged.

A plurality of clamps 10 may be used on a single work piece, and eachclamp 10 may be in communication with a controller (not shown), whichcontroller may be in communication with a machine (e.g., CNC mill,lathe, etc.). The controller may be configured so that if any clamp 10fails to achieve and/or maintain the proper clamping force, the machinereverts to a fail mode in which no work is performed on the work piece,and in which the work piece cannot be moved or repositioned. The usermay be alerted to this situation and inspect and/or adjust each clamp 10until the proper clamping force is achieved on each clamp 10. It iscontemplated that the controller may also be configured to identify thespecific clamp 10 that has failed to achieve or maintain the properclamping force.

Various other electrical components that may be required to facilitatethe operation of the clamp 10, such as capacitors, resistors, etc. arenot shown herein for purposes of clarity, and are in no way limiting tothe scope of the clamp 10.

The clamp 10 and various components thereof may be constructed of anysuitable material for the specific application of the clamp 10. It iscontemplated that a metallic material and/or metallic alloy for use withthe first and second portions 20, 30 may be especially suitable for manyapplications. However, the scope of the clamp 10 is not so limited.

Having described the preferred embodiments, other features of the clamp10 and method of use will undoubtedly occur to those versed in the art,as will numerous modifications and alterations in the embodiments asillustrated herein, all of which may be achieved without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the clamp 10 and/or method of use as disclosedherein. It should be noted that the clamp 10 and method of use are notlimited to the specific embodiments pictured and described herein, butare intended to apply to all similar apparatuses and methods forverifying that a specific force has been achieved and/or maintained.Modifications and alterations from the described embodiments will occurto those skilled in the art without departure from the spirit and scopeof the clamp 10 and/or method of use.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method for detecting when a clamp isengaged with a work piece at a predetermined force, said methodcomprising the steps of: a. affixing a second portion of said clamp to awork surface, wherein a user desires to fix the position of said workpiece with respect to said work surface, and wherein said second portionincludes a sensor therein; b. positioning said work piece on said worksurface; c. engaging a first portion of said clamp with said secondportion such that said user may securely select the position of saidfirst portion with respect to said second portion; d. biasing said firstportion away from said second portion by a predetermined force; e.moving said first portion until said first portion contacts said workpiece; and, f. moving said first portion until said sensor indicatessaid first portion places the appropriate force on said work piece. 2.The method according to claim 1, wherein said method further comprises aplurality of clamps engaging said work piece at different positions ofsaid work piece, wherein a controller is in communication with each saidclamp.
 3. The method according to claim 1 wherein said first portionfurther comprises a pin extending toward said sensor.
 4. The methodaccording to claim 3 wherein said sensor is further defined as aproximity sensor.
 5. The method according to claim 4 wherein saidbiasing step is further defined as being performed by a springpositioned between said first and second portions adjacent said pin andsaid sensor such that said sensor detects the presence of said pin whensaid spring is compressed by a predetermined amount.